A Grin and a Promise
by Calyah
Summary: Lavellan needs to clear her mind as the looming presence of the Emerald Graves weighs heavily on her heart. What starts out as a companionable talk by the river, turns into something much more important. (Now a three-part series that shows intimate moments across their relationship: beginning, middle, and after it ends).
1. A Grin and a Promise

Ellya sighed as she sat down on her cot. It had been a long day closing the last of the known fade rifts throughout the Emerald Graves. Fighting off the demons while also having to contend with the local giants, bears, and wolves made her completely bone-weary, but at least they were finished. Well, as finished as this inquisition could ever feel with Corypheus still looming over their heads and dozens of more fade rifts across Thedas to close.

Groaning, Ellya put her head in her hands. When would it ever end? All the fighting. All the chasing. All the pointless deaths and endless violent encounters. She didn't know if her spirit, or her magic for that matter, could take much more.

"Argh!" She grunted in frustration and kicked a pack of looted equipment across the tent. Despite her weariness, she stood up and pulled a soft robe around her body. She needed to walk the woods to clear her head, a habit carried over from her time with her clan.

Nodding to her companions as they stoked the campfire in the waning evening light, she departed for the river and the small glade she knew to be nearby.

She made her way slowly, gently caressing the trunks of the large trees as she wound her way through them. Perhaps they were the source of her melancholy. Simply being here, in the midst of these monumental reminders of the fall of her people, lessened her spirit. All that she hoped and strived for as a First lay in ruins all around her, the living graves of thousands who had walked before her and ultimately failed in their joined goal.

Leaning her staff against one of the large boulders that shielded the little cove, Ellya settled herself down at the water's edge. She wished her clan were here with her, to see this place for its beauty and to share her sadness in a way only they could understand. She wished she could walk with Keeper Deshanna through the ruins and shrines ensconced in every nook and cranny of the dense forest, speaking of their possible meanings and history. She wished, too, to see the laughing faces of her friends, Fenlan and Laranni. They would have made great effort to lighten her burden and see her smile. Her traveling companions were wonderful allies and some even great friends, though. Blackwall and Varric did their best as they had traveled through the ancient elven ruins, remaining respectful of her beliefs and at least feigning interest in the history that was so important to her here. Solas, of course, was a steadfast beacon of support, offering her what knowledge he could from his dreams as they traveled this land. He knew she hungered for understanding and seemed to do his best to help her come to terms with what had happened to their people. Still, she wished right now she could have the company of others who had known her before, before she was Inquisitor Lavellan, some supposed savior of the world and herald of a woman she did not even believe in.

Taking off her boots and setting them aside, Ellya dipped her feet in the water. It was pleasantly cool in contrast to the slightly warm and muggy evening. She sighed and thought about the last time she had had a nice bath, then chastised herself with a laugh. If Fenlan were here he would have teased her mercilessly for losing her Dalish grit and pining for such pretty shemlem ways.

The sound of footsteps broke Ellya from her thoughts. Reaching for her staff, she turned to the edge of the clearing to see who or what was approaching. A small smile graced her lips as her eyes found the source of the disruption.

"I hope I am not disturbing you," Solas said as he walked towards her, meeting her small smile with one of his own.

"Not at all. You should know I always welcome your company." Ellya gestured to the ground beside her and turned back to the water. "I was just thinking about my clan, wishing they could see this place."

Solas lowered himself down next to her, following her gaze to the large trees across the river.

"Perhaps when this is over, you will bring them here. If you guide them, they could find great value in walking these ancient places, experiencing their history as you have."

Ellya smiled at the thought. It was a nice image, one she desperately hoped would come to pass.

"Maybe they can skip the giants, though," she teased and let her smile turn into a full grin.

Solas let out a small bark of laughter.

"Indeed," he said, absently rubbing the still-healing bruise on his left arm.

Glancing to her right, she eyed the elf beside her. Once again, his mere presence had lightened her mood. She didn't know what she would do without his calm and reassuring company. He always seemed so sure of himself, something she rarely felt within herself. His quiet confidence in her bolstered her, even when he was gently pushing her to question herself and her longheld beliefs. When she thought of her position, leading all the people in her command and defending the world against Corypheus, and thought of doing it without him, her heart sank. Her mind wandered back to their kiss in the Fade. Neither of them had spoken of it since, but with the subsequent shared glances and lingering touches, she knew neither had forgotten.

Twisting her hands together and worrying her lip, she turned to him.

"What will you do when all of this is over, Solas? I know I asked you once before, when we first met, but I," she paused, trying to get her thoughts and emotions together. "I was wondering if anything has changed."

She couldn't quite meet his gaze, fearful of what she might find there. Instead, she lowered her eyes and looked at her hands, wringing together in her lap. She could feel his eyes on her, searching her face in the long silence that stretched between them. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Solas took her hands within his own and pulled her closer.

"I do not rightly know what the future may bring for us. The past is certainly more my area of expertise." Another small smile graced his lips as he freed one of his hands to gently cup her chin and tilt her face towards his. "Your spirit burns so brightly against the adversity you face, surprising me in so many ways. You are not what I expected, and yet I find myself longing for nothing but to be at your side." He dropped his hand and turned to look back over the water. "…even if I fear what that may mean and how unkind the will of time may be to us in the long run."

Ellya let out a small breath in relief and couldn't help the feeling of happiness and warm excitement creeping into her heart, despite the conflicted tone in his voice. Without a second thought, she reached out her free hand and wrapped it around the back of his neck, quickly pulling him close enough so that she could bring their lips together.

It was tentative at first, though every bit as thrilling as their kiss in the Fade, but the latent passion between them soon awoke. Grasping the front of his tunic and pulling him even closer, Ellya swept her tongue across his bottom lip and sighed in pleasure when she felt his mouth open and return her advance, letting his tongue caress her own.

One of Solas' arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her flush against him, while his other hand curled into her hair, deepening their kiss further. He let out an exceedingly enticing growl of surprise and frustration when after a few moments she pulled away.

"Ellya," he began through heavy breath, but she placed a hand on his cheek and cut off his words with a quick kiss.

"Before you arrived," she said in a low tone, a suggestive smirk on her face, "I was thinking about how much I missed my bath at Skyhold, a truly un-Dalish thought if I ever had one."

Solas let out a small laugh and smile in response, but those quickly died away as Ellya untangled herself from his embrace and stood up. His easy countenance was replaced by one of longing and confusion.

Her heart was beating wildly, but she pushed it from her mind. She met his puzzled gaze with a quiet intensity and brought her hands to the ties at the waist of her robe.

"Perhaps you would join me for a swim?"

She could have sworn he stopped breathing at her request, or maybe it was her own breath that was caught in her throat. He was as frozen as a statue as he seemed to process her words and their implications, his eyes sweeping her face and her form.

Swallowing her fear, her hands began to work on the ties of her robe, deftly undoing the fastenings until they hung loosely at her sides. It was then that Solas broke from his immobile state. In a heartbeat, he was standing before her, his hands on her own to stop her movements.

"Ellya," he said in a strangled tone, "this…this is not wise."

She heard his words, but his hands fingering the open edges of her robes told her how tenuous his resolve was becoming.

"I did not think the ever stoic Solas would be rendered so blushing by the mere thought of a naked body," she teased, trying to soften the tension with her words. She truly did not wish to scare or push him, or herself for that matter, with her words or actions, but she did not want to suppress her obvious desire for him any longer. Who knew what horrors tomorrow might bring them?

Her breath hitched and all coherent thought stopped, though, when his fingers slid inside the fold of her robe and ghosted gently across her bare stomach.

"I believe it depends on the specific body in question."

Solas' whispered words barely registered in her mind. All she could concentrate on was the feel of his firm hands, one curling around her side, the other traveling across her collarbone to push her robe further from her shoulders. When it lay draped at her elbows and her torso was bare save for the band of fabric that bound her breasts, his head dipped, placing soft kisses along the hollow of her neck to the base of her ear. She breathed in a contented sigh at the sensation, but frowned when his brow furrowed above his closed eyes and his body stilled. Pressing his nose into her hair, Solas gently pulled her close and drew in a deep breath.

"You must know my feelings for you, ma vhenan, but there are a great many things at stake. I do not wish to become an unnecessary distraction from your duties." He pulled back from her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Nor do I wish to bring you any grief, potential as it may be."

She could practically feel the war between desire and duty radiating from him. He was asking for permission, she realized, maybe from her, maybe from himself, or maybe from an unknown she could not fathom. With resolution guiding her, she brought her hands up to cup his face and forced his eyes to meet her gaze.

"This is what I want, Solas. I know my own heart." She slid her hands from his face to grasp his, bringing them to rest on her chest and holding them there firmly. "It belongs to you."

With her words, the last of his indecision seemed to slip away and a new emotion entered his eyes. In the next moment, she was pressed tightly between the large boulder at her back and his warm body, Solas' lips once again on hers. She could feel his fingers dance along the edge of her breast band, teasing the sensitive skin along her ribs. With a whimpered moan, she arched into his hands to encourage his movements. Solas curled his fingers into the top of the fabric and, breaking their kiss, looked into her eyes. She tilted her head down in a quick nod, eagerly giving him the gentle action of affirmation he seemed to seek. Looking back to his hands, he slowly pulled the material down around her waist. Stepping back slightly, he gazed down at her exposed form, eyes dark with desire. Ellya flushed under such a heated stare, waiting anxiously for him to say or do something.

Glancing briefly back to her face with a new look of intensity, Solas stepped forward again and lifted his right hand to cup her breast. Ellya gasped as he stroked his thumb across her nipple, the sensation making her close her eyes and lay her head back against the stone. Solas quickly brought his lips to the newly exposed expanse of her neck, kissing and nipping his way down her body, stopping only to lavish attention upon each breast with his mouth and tongue, until he was kneeling in front of her. Making quick work of the remaining clasps across her hips, he hooked his fingers into her robes and underclothes and pushed them down her legs and off her body.

Ellya, now fully bared, trembled slightly as she looked down at him. Solas' eyes were hungry before her, seeming to devour the sight of each exposed inch of her flesh.

"Ar lath, ma vhenan. You are truly beautiful," he whispered hoarsely, clasping one hand behind her ankle and trailing it up the back of her leg while the other clutched greedily to her hip.

Ellya let out a soft moan and closed her eyes when she felt Solas' lips land on the inside of her thigh, pressing light kisses towards her center. She felt herself starting to drown in the pleasure and anticipation he was producing in her and scraped her fingers along the smooth surface of the boulder to find some sort of purchase. The feel of Solas' strong hand on her hip steadied her, but could not prevent the loud gasp she uttered or the buckle of her knees when his deft fingers finally parted her folds and his warm tongue placed a long stroke along her most intimate of areas before he brought his lips around her nub and sucked gently.

"Solas!" she gasped breathlessly, her hands landing on his shoulders in a tense grip. She could barely register her legs beneath her, only the pleasure coiling low in her abdomen and the wonderful sensation of his mouth on her core. She didn't think her arousal could be brought any higher until she felt his fingers join his mouth, entering her slowly, stretching her and curling before stroking her from the inside.

Panting with her head thrown back, she released her hands from his shoulders and clutched the front of his tunic as best she could.

"Solas, stop," she breathed, barely able to get the syllables past her lips.

In the breadth of a moment, his movements ceased and Solas stood, searching her face with a look of concern.

"Are you all right?" He asked, his voice urgent but still coated hoarsely with lust.

Ellya couldn't help the large smile that spread across her lips at his worry and misunderstanding of her command.

"More than all right," she giggled softly, still somewhat out of breath. "It's only that I think the situation unfair."

Pushing herself off the boulder, she reached out to grasp his tunic, tugging it from the cinch at his waist. Solas chuckled at her eagerness, watching with dark eyes as she undressed him. When she was able to remove all the layers that covered his torso, she stepped back to admire his form just as he had done to her. His body was well-defined with lean muscles, most likely due to his previously hard and nomadic lifestyle. Raising her hands, she traced the few scars scattered across his chest and abdomen, causing a low hum of pleasure to sound deep in Solas' throat. Emboldened by his response, Ellya stepped closer to him and placed a kiss on his chest, over the spot that contained his heart, and gave it a little nip. Solas' hands fisting into her hair gave her all the encouragement she needed to slip her fingers into the waistband of his breeches and slide them over his hips.

As Solas kicked the garment off his feet and to the side, Ellya looked down at his naked form, his earlier words echoing in her mind. Yes, truly beautiful indeed. Wetting her bottom lip with her tongue, she stole a glance at his face. He was watching her quietly and intensely. Reaching forward, she gently wrapped her fingers around his length. Almost instantly, his eyes fluttered closed and a hissing breath passed his lips.

Pumping her hand over him, she smiled as she made her way down his body until she was kneeling before him, intent on returning his earlier favor. With one last look to his enraptured face, she moved her tongue along his length and took him into her mouth. The string of half-growled elven curses that fell from Solas' lips was more than enough reward for her. Suppressing a smile of smug satisfaction, she allowed herself to explore him, tasting and teasing him until she could feel his control begin to slip with the erratic groans and gasps of his breath and the tight curl of his fingers in her hair.

With one last swirl of her tongue, Ellya pulled back. Smiling slowly, she twined her fingers in his and urged him to join her in the soft grass. Solas didn't need much in the way of encouragement, pulling his body flush to hers as he bent to his knees. Once again, their mouths found each other, nipping and pushing in an almost frantic way as the need to be closer heightened. Ellya moaned when she broke the kiss, basking in the sensation of Solas' lips coming once again to the sensative spot beneath her ear and the feel of his naked skin pressed so intimately against her own.

Feeling her desire overtake her, she pushed insistently at Solas' shoulders, urging him to sit back on his heels. Locking her hands around the back of his neck, she climbed quickly to straddle his lap, grinding her slick center against his length.

Solas hissed another string of Elvish between clenched teeth, his fingers curling tightly to grip her hips and pull her against him further.

Pausing only slightly to meet his eyes and give him a soft kiss, Ellya settled one hand against Solas' shoulder and the other between them. Guiding the tip of him at her entrance, she rose and then lowered herself with a moan until he had filled her completely.

Solas and Ellya stilled for a moment, letting the feeling of being so intimately entwined wash over them.

"Vhenan," he whispered, his warm breath ghosting over her face and his fingers trailing soft circles across her back.

"I know," she whispered back, leaning forward to press her lips against his in a tender kiss.

Soon, though, his hands were again at her hips, urging her to move and rock herself against him. Ellya was all too willing to comply. Perching her hands against his shoulders, she started to move herself up and down.

"Yes," she moaned, gasping at the sensation of him filling her again and again.

Growing bolder, she pushed hard on his chest, forcing him to lie flat on his back as she rode him. Solas certainly didn't seem to object to her actions, though, whispering half coherent encouragement between heavy breaths and guiding her hips to take him faster.

Suddenly, she felt Solas' hands shift, his thumb moving firmly to her center and rubbing slick circles over her clit.

Ellya gasped at the sensation, the pleasure hitting her fiercely and making her throw her head back with a loud moan. As her body stuttered in its movements, she heard a low growl. In the next instant, she found herself flat on her back, one of Solas' arms beneath her, cradling her head, and the other hitched under her right knee, drawing it up high. The change in position, allowing him to enter her more deeply, caused Ellya's mouth to open in a strangled groan. All she could do was hold tightly to his shoulders as he plunged into her more urgently, drawing gasps and moans from both of their throats.

Feeling her pleasure mount, Ellya looked to Solas' face. Seeing his parted lips and the almost feral look in his eyes, such a contrast to his normally stoic demeanor, she couldn't help the feeling of fascination and excitement that washed over her.

Pulling back slightly, Solas unhooked his arm from beneath Ellya's leg, moving his thumb again to her center so he could tease her nub as he thrust into her harder and faster.

"Solas, I…" Ellya panted, not sure what exactly she wanted to convey to him. She couldn't think past the sensations flooding her. His lips were searing on her neck, his hands insistent and seeming to touch her everywhere. His body was hard and unrelenting above hers, driving her pleasure higher. Almost without warning, her climax took her and she cried out, all else falling away as the waves of bliss coursed through her under Solas' urging touch. Ellya watched in rapture as Solas' eyes darkened and his thrusts became almost frantic. With one last surge, his face contorted and a low groan escaped his lips. After a few last tremulous movements back and forth, Solas collapsed against her, his face buried against her neck.

They laid there silently for a few moments to come down from the euphoria, their uneven breathing the only sound punctuating the stillness. Eventually, Solas pulled back and placed a soft kiss on her brow before rolling to lay at her side and pulling her close.

"That was…" Ellya whispered, but trailed off, not knowing exactly how to put the wonderful experience or how much she felt for him into words.

"Yes," Solas agreed readily, showing he understood her conflict perfectly, before he pulled her further into his arms. Sighing, Ellya laid her head against his chest.

There wasn't much to say after that. Ellya smiled contently, enjoying the soft thump of Solas' heart resting beneath her ear. Words could come later.

With a soft exhale, she snuggled deeper into his embrace, hitching a leg slightly over his thigh and wrapping an arm firmly across his chest. She could get used to moments like this, however few and far between they might occur, rays of beautiful tranquility amidst so much chaos and destruction.

She was broken from her thoughts, though, when she turned to look up at Solas' face, only to see his eyes looking distant and troubled towards the twilight sky.

"Solas," she started, pushing herself up onto her elbow to peer down at him, "is something wrong?"

Solas' eyes focused then, the troubled flash slipping away as they returned to gaze at her face. A small smile once again graced his lips.

"I simply feel I should apologize," he said seriously.

Ellya's brow furrowed and a slight feeling of dread crept into the pit of her stomach. Surely he did not regret their actions, did he?

The corner of his mouth tugged upwards, as if struggling not to grin.

"I distracted you from your swim," he said while quirking an eyebrow in that insufferably smug fashion of his, "and I can only imagine the kind of sordid drivel Varric will concoct as to why we have been absent so long."

Ellya laughed and smacked Solas' chest lightly in reproach, the nascent dread fading away. Still chuckling, she stood and helped him to his feet.

"Yes, well, we wouldn't want your stoic reputation to suffer such an undignified blow," she said with a grin while reaching down and redonning her discarded robe.

Solas looked ready to argue as he refastened the cinch around his tunic, but Ellya wrapped her arms around his waist and cut off his protest with a lingering kiss.

"As for the swim," she whispered as she pulled away, "I have known you to be quite intelligent. I am sure you will find some way to repay me when we return to Skyhold."

She made to walk away, to return to camp and leave him there with a grin and a promise of things to come. Solas, however, seemed to have other ideas. Grabbing her arm just as he had done in the Fade, he quickly pulled her back to him and captured her lips in a searing kiss, reawakening her passion with memories of exactly what those lips could do. When he finally broke away, she was breathless and her eyes were slow to reopen. Ellya just looked at him, dazed, as he turned with a smirk and exited the clearing to walk back to camp.

Yes, Ellya thought with a smile forming on her lips, a wonderful promise of things to come indeed.

—-

_Author's Notes: I hope I conveyed the right blend of passion and serious emotion that exists between these two, as well as a hint of Solas' secret conflict. I'm still in the midst of my playthrough with Ellya Lavellan (my second playthrough of the game), but this story idea would not leave me. It is a oneshot for now, but I have a feeling these two will not stay quiet, and it will become a part of a much larger work in the future._


	2. First Light

Solas felt himself stir, the last remnants of his dreaming state slowly fading away as the pale light of morning illuminated the backs of his eyes. He took in a deep breath and blinked away his sleep with a smile. He could hear the soft snores of the woman lying beside him, still resting peacefully and curled up on her side in his arms. Glancing down, he took in her form. She was so beautiful like this, the ever-present stress of her responsibilities finally absent from her dreaming face. With a content sigh, he brought himself closer, pressing his front flush against her back, both of them still nude from the previous night's interlude.

He hissed in a quick breath, though, as she stirred slightly and nestled her frigidly cold feet against the tops of his shins. How could her extremities be anything but warm while they rested beneath so many layers? A mischievous glint entered Solas' eyes. Lifting his free arm from his side, he tucked his hand beneath the fur coverlet and began trailing his fingers along her soft skin. He grinned when he reached the sensitive expanse of her ribs, his ghostly touches causing her to squirm.

"That tickles," she murmured sleepily, a small smile forming on her face as she woke for the day.

"My apologies," he said, not quite enough sincerity in his tone for his words to be believable.

Ellya just giggled lightly and snuggled backwards into his embrace, a contented sigh of her own passing her lips.

"Pleasant dreams?" Solas asked and let his arm come to rest across her waist.

"Mmm," she said with a secret smile. "Your doing, I suppose?"

He let out a small laugh and propped himself up slightly to look down at her face, so natural and beautiful in the early dawn light.

"No, vhenan, influencing your subconscious thoughts is a power that lies beyond even my scope. We may explore a memory together, but I cannot wish one upon you."

He placed a small kiss on her temple before she turned her head to meet his gaze and gave him a smirk.

"Oh?" she asked, a mischievous note coloring her voice. "I would think you'd have figured out how to do that by now, with how often you seem to be preoccupied with dreaming and the Fade."

Solas' eyes crinkled with delight at her manner, so open and free with her affectionate teasing.

"On the contrary, as I have no desire to enslave the minds of others, such considerations would be pointless." He let his fingers continue their earlier wanderings, caressing them across the ample curve of her hip. "Even so, I find my waking time no longer so singularly filled with thoughts of the Fade. More and more I am beset by daydreams of another sort," he whispered playfully, pulling her closer and placing small kisses along her neck. He surprised himself with how freely he admitted such secret and personal musings to her, even as his heart fluttered at the truth such declarations.

"Mmm, perhaps we should see what we can do about those, then." The tone of Ellya's voice dropped and took on a throaty quality with her words. She reached down and laced her fingers with his own before trailing his hand across her stomach to cup her breast.

Solas felt himself grow hard at her boldness. She was seemingly insatiable in her desire for him, and he could not bring himself to deny her, nor himself for that matter.

"Ma nuvenin," he whispered against the shell of her ear.

Untangling his fingers from hers, he gently pinched her nipple, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, and brought his mouth further to her ear to lightly suck on the lobe.

Solas smirked at the sound she made, a breathy moan that caused her form to shudder. Getting to know her and the intricacies of her body and how it reacted to his touch satisfied him in a way that nothing but the Fade had in a very long time.

A choked groan of his own made the smirk slip from his face, though, as he felt her hips shift and she pushed her bottom back to grind against him. Her hand, too, had reached back to grip his thigh and hold him in place against her.

As he continued to give his attention to kisses along her neck and moved his hand to her other breast, she drew her leg up and hitched it back over his own. Reaching down, Ellya curled her fingers around the base of his shaft and positioned it between her now spread legs, causing him to take in a sharp breath. With a moan sounding deep in her throat, she cupped him and rubbed her warm, slick center across his length, base to tip and back again.

"Ellya," Solas gasped and stopped his movements, the sensation almost maddening in its pleasure.

Ellya just grinned slightly, sliding back and forth once again and eliciting another guttural moan from his throat, before she brought the tip of him to her entrance. Uncurling her fingers from around him, she reached back and pressed on his hip, urging him forward. Solas did not need to be told twice. With one slow movement, he entered her completely, his eyes shuttering closed as the tight clasp of her walls around him sent a jolt ecstasy through his form.

"Yes," Ellya sighed through parted lips, the clear pleasure in her voice driving his own higher.

Solas brought his free hand down from her breast to clutch her inner thigh, parting her legs further to allow him a better angle for a deeper thrust.

With a strangled groan and a whisper of ancient Elvish endearments, he began to move within her. Slowly back and forth he rocked them, his movements small but drawing wonderful sounds from the woman in his arms as he hit just the right spot again and again. The position, so tight and close, was new for them and he reveled in discovering further ways their bodies could align to draw forth their pleasure.

As he felt his desire building, he sped his movements. Ellya raised her free arm to grasp him behind his neck and twisted her head to pull him into a kiss, her tongue swirling across his lips and begging entrance to his mouth. Solas almost lost himself completely, then. The feeling of being so intimately connected to her, their bodies so close and aligned just right, brought his pleasure and passion to an almost all-consuming height.

Despite his slipping control, he did not want to come undone before her. Slowing down his movements slightly, Solas broke their kiss and unfurled his fingers from Ellya's thigh. He brought them quickly to her center, allowing them to dip between her folds and rub slick circles around her clit.

Ellya cried out, her head laying back against his forearm and her own hand coming to rest atop his.

"More," she asked breathlessly, "harder." Her fingers pressed into his, urging them to touch her more firmly and guiding his hand through the motions she wanted most. He gladly obliged.

Seeing her lose herself so completely in her passion for him, displaying herself and moving his hand so wantonly, stirred something very primal in Solas. He bit back a guttural moan at the feelings she was evoking in his body, his thrusts coming harder and faster, despite his intent on control.

"Solas, yes!" she cried, reaching her climax under their joined hands and closing her eyes tight, her body tensing in his arms.

It did not take long for him after that. Seeing her face in the throes of passion, brought about by his own touch and the movements of his body, aroused him beyond measure. With a few more hard thrusts, he let go of his tenuous control and let his own climax wash over him, burying his face against her shoulder with a low moan.

Their breathing was quick and erratic and they both lay almost boneless in their afterglow, but after a few moments, Ellya turned in his arms and snuggled close. Tipping up her chin, she pressed forward and gave him a soft kiss.

"I love you," she said quietly as she pulled back, a warm smile spreading languidly across her lips.

"And I you, vhenan" he replied, equally sated.

She tucked her head below his chin and rested it against his chest.

"You know," she began after a few minutes of silence had passed, her voice once again mischievous, "The sun has barely risen, and I don't have to be in the war room for at least another hour. We could work on giving you more material for your daydreams, if you'd like."

Solas chuckled as he felt her hand moving across his chest and trail lightly towards his lower abdomen. Taken once already this morning and she was still not satisfied. So insatiable, his vhenan. Still, as he drew in a sharp breath and felt himself harden once more under her touch, he supposed so was he.


	3. Once Upon a Dream

_—_

_I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream__  
><em>_I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam__  
><em>_And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem__  
><em>_But if I know you, I know what you'll do__  
><em>_You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_

—

It had taken Ellya a long time to find him. It had taken so long, in fact, because she didn't want to. When Solas had broken things off with her and disappeared after Corypheus' defeat, he had made it very clear by his actions that he did not want to be followed. As much as it had hurt and as furious at his cowardice as she had been, she had listened. She had known he was struggling with something, something he wouldn't let her help him with, but she respected his will too much to try to force him to remain at her side.

So, she had thrown herself into her work at Skyhold. Being busy kept her thoughts of him at bay, at least for the most part. Occassionally, she would walk aimlessly and find herself staring at his murals in the rotunda, or she would roll over at night and catch a hint of his scent still lingering on her pillows. Those moments pained, but eventually they faded. The anger and the hurt had been lessened with time, scabbing over and leaving only a faint scar. But the love she had for him? That forever remained strong, almost unbearably so. It simmered ever-constant at the edges of her subconscious, always ready to pour through. Out of that love, he had given her the gift of Dreaming, and ultimately, it was that gift that betrayed her.

Dream after dream, her sleeping thoughts had pulled her desires to the surface, shaping the Fade and bringing her closer to him. It was small at first, a new valley to explore as she slept, exotic trees with sagging branches that invited her to rest along the boughs, or even just a warm breeze that carried with it the scent of herbs and parchment as she walked. Though she was lucid, she didn't realize what was happening until it was too late to turn back.

Ellya knew the instant she had fallen asleep that night that something was different, that she wasn't alone in her usual wanderings through a Fade-constructed forest. At first, she looked around for a spirit, thinking that perhaps one had come to investigate her ability to stay aware while she slept. But as soon as she came across the elven ruins, so safe and secure and looking like home, she knew.

Solas was there.

Despite her trepidation and her mind screaming at her that it wasn't a good idea, she made her way past the lichen covered stone walls that circled the ruins and walked slowly towards the inner sanctum. She moved as silently as she could, peering around tall columns and painted surfaces until she caught sight of the goliath tree at the center. That was when she saw him. He sat still and quiet with his eyes closed, leaning his back against the large trunk. Her heart skipped at the sight. It had been over a year since she had looked at his face, seen the strong curve of his shoulder, the gentle taper of his waist, or the small crease in the middle of his brow that appeared when he was deep in thought. He hadn't noticed her presence yet, and part of her just wanted to remain hidden, to simply observe and leave with herself intact.

She hesitated in the shadows. What would be his reaction? Would he be angry that she had found him? Would her own anger come rushing back if she stood closer? Her feet moved her forward in an attempt to find out, stepping lightly against the stone path that lead towards him, despite her heart begging her to stay away.

"Announce yourself!"

Solas' words echoed across the marble and granite and out towards the rest of the Fade, as he stood from the ground and lifted his staff.

Taking a nervous swallow, Ellya stepped past the high, twisting columns and into the light.

He said nothing at first, just stared at her with parted lips and unblinking eyes, clearly shocked by her appearance.

"Ellya," he finally whispered, his tone disbelieving.

She thought about taking a few more steps towards him, but her legs paused and her brow creased. He was not the same. Something was different. Squinting her eyes and tilting her head, Ellya looked at him in silence. Suddenly, a rush of whispered voices from the Well of Sorrows came to the forefront of her mind and comprehension dawned on her. Mythal. How was he now Mythal? She silenced the voices with a gentle push and took another step forward.

"Solas, what have you done?" she asked gravely, scanning her eyes over his body. He looked no different than the elf she had come to know and love, but was his appearance deceiving her somehow? A million questions flooded her thoughts.

Solas looked away from her briefly, as if ashamed, before he met her gaze with determination.

"Nothing more than what was required," he said cryptically, causing Ellya to frown.

"Solas, I drank from the Well of Sorrows. I can…feel…that you're different. That you're no longer just yourself. Was this why you left?" she asked, though she really didn't want to voice that question. She was not certain she would be satisfied with whatever answer he gave. No reasoning would erase what his actions had made her feel.

Solas dropped his staff and turned away from her, a frustrated grunt passing his lips.

"I wish you had not followed me here," he said, completely evading her question. "It is not safe. I am not safe. Had I not explicitly stated that you could not help me with this?"

Ellya felt her anger returning once again. If he was going to dredge up old wounds and conversations, then so could she.

"Yes, you did," she stated with a bitter edge to her voice, taking another step closer so she could say what she needed to his face. "Right after you told me you loved me. That what we had was real. That though my face was marred with these slave markings, you thought me perfect and beautiful. I remember quite clearly."

"I gave you everything," she continued, pressing closer to him and pouring every bit of pain she had suppressed over the last year into her words. "My body, my heart, my devotion, my _trust._ And you just left. Without a word! Abandoned me on a battlefield. How could you do that? How could you promise so much and then just strip it away?"

Solas shrunk away from her words. She couldn't help hurting him in that moment. The anger and lack of answers had festered too long. Moving to stand only a few steps from him, she clenched her jaw.

"Do you still love me?" Ellya said in a heated whisper to his back. It was the one question she never wanted to ask him, but couldn't help uttering all the same. She could not deny how ardently her own feelings still burned despite the hurt, but if he no longer felt as she did, if it didn't change anything…

Solas turned to look at her fully then, causing Ellya to take in a quick, uneven breath. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, telling her all she needed to know.

"I did not lie," he said fiercely. "What we had was real. And no agenda, no campaign, no goal in this world could cease my love for you." His words were so broken, so strained. "But…"

Ellya quickly brought her fingers to his lips to silence him. If he was going to deny her one last time, she did not want to hear it. Her anger and her heart fell at the look on his face. He was so plainly pained by whatever he was doing that she couldn't help but be moved, despite the ache in her chest for things to be different.

Her fingers trailed across his lips, gently caressing the skin that was once so familiar. Solas' eyes closed when she shifted her hand to cup his cheek.

"I just want to understand," she said, feeling her own tears forming. "Why can't I help you? What are you trying to accomplish?" Her voice hitched and she faltered. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"

A tear slid down Solas' cheek at her words. Gently, he brought his hand up to cover hers.

"In time, you will understand," he whispered. "The burden is mine to bear. I must walk this path to completion. Alone."

Ellya let out a breath, a small sob escaping her throat.

"Is this goodbye then?" she cried softly, letting her hand fall to his chest and moving her body closer.

Solas just looked at her with sad eyes. He opened his mouth, but no words came out, and that was when she knew it was over, that the dream they were sharing would be their last.

Slowly, tentatively, she drew herself up and pressed her lips against his, letting her eyes flutter closed at the sensation. It was warm and sweet and just as she remembered, causing another pang of grief to burrow into her heart. If it was to be the end, the last time she saw him, then she would burn it into her memory forever.

Almost immediately as she brought their lips together, his hands came up to cup her face and hold her close. An intense desperation and sorrow gripped her then. Suddenly, his hands and his lips were not enough. His body standing mere inches away from her own was not enough. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed forward and deepened their kiss, opening her mouth in invitation and letting her tongue skim across his lips.

If Solas felt any reluctance at all, he didn't show it. He, too, seemed to be overcome with the same desperation and matched her frenzied desire with his own. Circling his arms fully around her waist, he pulled her body against him completely.

Yes, she remembered well the feelings he was able to produce in her form. Every touch, every kiss, every intimate embrace they had once shared came flooding back, eliciting a moan deep in her throat. It was wrong of them, and it would only end in more pain, but she didn't care. If she was never going to see him again, she wanted one last moment of bliss, one proper goodbye, where only they and their love existed and all other problems fell away.

Ellya wrapped her fingers in the fur that lay across his shoulders, pushing at it insistently. Stepping back to shrug it away, Solas brought his own hands forward to undo her belt and toss it aside. In the next instant, she was pressed tightly against the smooth bark of the tree and his hands were traveling down her body, touching her through her thin robes with urgency.

She tore at his shirt, parting the folds until she could feel his solid skin beneath her fingertips. Gripping her hands at his waist, she brought his hips forward and sighed at the familiar sensation and friction. Solas groaned at the contact, breaking their kiss and resting his forehead against her own.

Quickly, his hands resumed their work across her body. He pushed the sides of her robe apart and undid the fastenings of her breastband, throwing it over his shoulder without care. In one swift movement, he bent down and placed firm kisses along her skin, down her neck, across her collarbone, until his lips traveled across the swell of her breast and circled her nipple.

Ellya gasped as Solas' tongue swirled and teased her sensitive flesh. One of his hands had come up to caress her other breast, while the other traveled lower and dipped into her smallclothes. Not satisfied with remaining idle, her own hands traced the muscles along his back, gently trailing past his spine until they came to rest on his hips. The feel of him was so real, so familiar. She didn't want to let go. She gripped him tighter when she felt him push the thin material at her center aside and his fingers traced her slit.

Solas' groan matched her own when his fingers pressed forward and entered her, slowly moving back and forth while his thumb grazed firmly along her clit.

As good as it felt and as high as he was able to drive her arousal, she didn't want his fingers. She wanted him.

Pushing his hand away, she reached forward and tugged on his breeches until they were lowered just enough to free him.

Pumping her fingers over his hard length and reveling in his erotic gasp that she had not heard in so long, she urged him forward. Quickly, his hands came up to grip her ass, lifting her and pressing her hard against the tree. When Ellya positioned him just right, he surged forward, holding her tightly between his body and the trunk, and filled her completely.

Ellya arched forward at the sensation. She had forgotten just how wonderful it felt to be connected to him so intimately, to have every hard inch of him stretch and caress her so well. Wrapping one arm over his shoulder and bringing the other hand to grip the back of his neck, she moved her hips, silently begging him for more.

Solas groaned against her neck, his mouth moving forward to place kisses along her skin. In the next instant he shifted his arms until her knees were hooked over the crook of his elbows and his hands supported her from beneath. Bringing his lips back to her own, he began to move.

The thrusts were small and tentative at first, but that hesitancy did not last long. Soon, Solas was driving into her with force. She clutched his shoulders and broke their kiss with a passionate cry, desperate to feel him and memorize every last sensation he brought. He rested his forehead against her own, their panted breaths mixing heatedly in the small space between them.

Higher and higher her pleasure came. She wanted to close her eyes, to bask in nothing but the ecstasy of sensation, but she refused. She needed to see him, to look in his eyes and remember every last detail, every last emotion.

Solas shifted his hips with a moan, changing his angle so that each thrust brought his pelvis in blissful contact with her clit.

Ellya opened her mouth in a strangled breath and threw her head forward to rest against his shoulder, reveling in the feel of his slick skin rubbing against her bare chest.

Thrust after thrust, her pleasure grew. By the furrow of his brow and the erratic pants of his breath, she could tell his release was close as well.

She gripped his shoulders tighter and met his movements with ones of her own, undulating her hips forward to connect with his.

In a sudden rush and with one more perfect rub of his body against hers, her climax took her. Crying out, she collapsed against him. Solas' own release came almost instantly after, when with a final thrust and a deep moan, his face contorted in pleasure and her name fell across his lips.

Slowly, their panting ceased, neither moving. After several moments of just holding her to him, though, Solas untangled her legs from his arms and let her feet come gently to the ground. When he made to back away, Ellya curled her fingers across the back of his neck and around his waist to keep him in place. She wasn't ready to let go. It would never be enough, but she wanted just one more minute of being held by him, of his skin resting against hers, and his arms circling her waist in a solid embrace.

Closing his eyes, he placed a tender kiss on her brow before pulling his head back slightly.

"Please," he whispered hoarsely, his breath ghosting across her cheek, "please, vhenan, do not look for me again. Turning from you once more would be an unbearable pain, and I…I cannot stray."

Ellya closed her eyes and nodded. She knew it was coming, but it did not lessen the hurt. Gently, she placed her hand along his cheek and wiped her thumb across the drying tracks of the tears he had shed.

"Dareth shiral, emma lath," she whispered.

Solas pulled back to look in her eyes, an infinite sadness filling his features. Taking in a deep breath, he slowly leaned forward and brought their lips together for one last soft kiss.

"Wake up."

It was only a gentle murmur against her lips, but in the next instant Ellya startled awake and sat straight up. Looking around, she took in the sight of her room, cold and dark, and empty.

Once again, she was alone.


End file.
